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The state Board of Pharmacy levied a $5,000 civil penalty against a Hazleton pharmacist who has been placed on probation for three years, for gross negligence or other malpractice.

The board initially suspended George Michael Waschko's license for three years, but stayed the suspension in favor of probation, according to the final order issued in June.

The order requires Waschko, who was identified as the owner and pharmacy manager of Waschko's Pharmacy in Hazleton, to abide by all laws and cooperate with the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs.

Waschko must notify the bureau of any change in address or employment, and of criminal charges, restrictions on practice or investigations or actions regarding his privileges, or risk the suspension of his license.

According to the order, Waschko continued to fill a prescription for medicine to control high blood pressure for a customer, who was also a family friend, from April 2003 to March 2008. The physician listed as the prescriber had last seen the patient in September 2003, and did not prescribe 26 of 31 refills.

The physician contacted Waschko about the prescriptions after being contacted by the patient's insurance company, regarding prescriptions from 2007 and 2008. The doctor advised Waschko not to fill any more prescription under her name, and also wrote to the patient.

The Department of State began an investigation in October 2008 following a complaint about possible improper dispensing.

Waschko told the investigator that the patient left the new prescription at home or didn't have an additional prescription, but would fill it because he didn't want the patient to go without blood pressure medicine.

He further told the investigator that the patient changed doctors and submitted a new prescription for the same drug from January 2006 into evidence. A computer error by another person allowed the name of the patient's former doctor, and not the new one, to be placed on the label, Waschko said.

He did not have prescription authorizations from January 2005 to November 2005. Waschko did not contest that he dispensed the drug or that the wrong doctor was listed on the prescriptions.

"Throughout his testimony, the respondent (Waschko) appears to blame his employees for the violations and errors and he does not take responsibility as the pharmacist and pharmacy manager at this store. It is the Respondent's responsibility and duty to ensure that the prescriptions are valid and correct," the order said.

"Respondent's misconduct included multiple examples of incompetency, gross negligence or other malpractice, or departure from and failure to conform to the standards of acceptable and prevailing pharmacy practice," the order said.

The board found that Waschko's continued practice without monitoring would pose "an unreasonable risk to the citizens of the Commonwealth."

Waschko did not respond to messages left at the business for comment on this matter or on reports of a possible federal Drug Enforcement Agency investigation at his pharmacy late last month.

Hazleton Police Chief Frank DeAndrea confirmed the DEA's presence at the North Wyoming Street business, but said city officers were not involved and noted that he did not have specifics on the federal operation.

The DEA could not comment on an ongoing investigation, and referred media inquiries to press releases on its website.

The Hazleton drug store remains open.

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